The present invention relates to an armrest for use together with a seat in a vehicle. The invention also relates to a vehicle seat provided with such an armrest and a vehicle comprising such an armrest.
The invention is applicable to different types of vehicle, but in the following, for the purpose of illustration but not for the purpose of restricting the protection provided by the patent, it will be described how the armrest can be used in a working vehicle, such as a wheeled loader. Vehicles of the wheeled loader type are often provided with equipment for simple and comfortable operation. For example, the control of the vehicle can be carried out using a lever that is mounted on an armrest so that the operator who is seated in a driver's seat can at the same time rest his arm on the armrest and control the vehicle by means of the lever. Also other functions, such as control of the gearbox to select different gears or to change between driving the vehicle in a forward and backward direction, can be integrated into the armrest and can be operated by means of buttons or other types of controls arranged on the armrest.
The armrest, that is often mounted on the left side of the driver's seat viewed in the direction of travel, can usually be folded backwards from an essentially horizontal or slightly inclined forwards operating position to a more or less vertical folded-away passive position so as not to take up space in the vehicle between the driver's seat and the steering wheel when the driver is climbing in and out. In addition, the armrest often has a mechanism for setting the position of the armrest in relation to the driver's seat in a forward and backward direction so that the driver can individually select the required operating position of the armrest and thereby of the control lever.
A problem with previously-known armrests is that they do not sufficiently take into account variations in the body size of different operators. This means that the working position for the operator is only optimal for operators that are a particular body size, as the required distance between the sitting position (that is essentially the same for different operators) in the driver's seat, and the arm's support position on the armrest for the operator in a horizontal direction at right angles to the vehicle's direction of travel, that is sideways, varies from person to person. An unfavourable working position can result in the operator finding it more difficult to carry out the work, and there is also a danger of strain injuries.
An additional problem is that an adjustment of the armrest sideways usually results in a conflict with the armrest's folding movement in the upward/backward direction in association with the driver climbing out of the vehicle. In addition, a new sideways adjustment will be required when the armrest is folded down after the driver has climbed in. Both these problems can be perceived as annoying by the driver.
It is desirable to reduce considerably the abovementioned problems associated with the previous-known technology and to provide an armrest that makes possible an ergonomic work position for all operators, irrespective of their body size. It is also desirable that a reliable and simple folding away of the armrest be able to be carried out without the need for the arrangement of a new mechanism for carrying out the movement of the armrest between the operating position and the folded up passive position, and vice versa, without impairing the driver's freedom of movement.
According to a first embodiment, the invention comprises an armrest for a vehicle seat, which vehicle seat comprises a seat cushion and a backrest and where the armrest is intended to be turned around a pivot axis between a first active position above and essentially parallel to the said seat cushion and a second folded-away position alongside the said backrest. The armrest can preferably be mounted at the outer side of the vehicle seat in association with an exit or a door, but can also be mounted on both sides of the seat.
The armrest comprises an upper part or support surface, which in the active position is positioned with its longitudinal axis essentially parallel to an essentially vertical plane through a side surface constituting an outer edge surface of the vehicle seat and intended to support a user's forearm. In the following text, the position of the upper part in relation to the said plane will refer to the horizontal position outside and inside this plane in relation to the outer edge surface of the vehicle seat. In association with the invention, the essentially longitudinal axis of the support surface will be assumed to be principally parallel to the main side surface of the vehicle seat.
The support surface can also be provided with adjustment devices for rotating the support surface in the horizontal plane, with the object of making it possible to angle the armrest in relation to the user's elbow.
At least one lower part is provided with a fixing device for attaching the upper part to the vehicle seat. The lower part can thus comprise a single section attached directly to the vehicle seat or to a frame supporting this. Alternatively, the lower part can comprise a first section attached between the upper part and a second section, which second section is attached to the vehicle seat. The lower part is provided with a pivot axis at its lower end, around which pivot axis the armrest is arranged to fold. The pivot axis is positioned essentially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle seat and can comprise an attachment to the frame of the vehicle seat or to a second lower part mounted on the frame of the vehicle seat.
The lower part preferably comprises a linking mechanism arranged for setting the upper part in a transverse direction between a first position outside the said side surface, from where the armrest can be folded away, and an adjustable second position, which position is set and locked by the user. For this purpose, the lower part is preferably provided with a locking device comprising a setting device that can be locked. The second position is preferably located displaced in an essentially horizontal direction towards the said seat cushion in relation to the said outer edge surface, whereby the upper part of the armrest is located completely or partially above the seat cushion. The linking mechanism is preferably provided with two parallel struts arranged to achieve an essentially horizontal lateral movement of the upper part when setting this. For this purpose, the parallel struts of the linking mechanism can pivot around two upper axes attached below the upper part of the armrest and around two lower axes attached in association with the pivot axis of the lower part. The upper and lower axes are preferably positioned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the seat cushion. The parallel struts can also be provided with at least one spring arrangement for spring-loading the linking mechanism towards the upper part's first position. This spring arrangement can be attached between the upper axis located closest to the user and the lower axis located furthest away from the user. In association with the pivot axis of the lower part, there is a locking device that is arranged to activate a catch that locks the upper part in a pre-set position, after movement of the upper part from the said first to the said second position. When folding the armrest from the active position to the folded-away position, the said locking device is arranged to release the upper part from its pre-set position and thereafter to allow movement of the armrest to its first position, for the purpose of enabling the armrest to be folded to its inactive position.
As the upper part of the armrest can be set in different positions by means of the lockable setting device by moving the upper part in a direction that has a component directed in the horizontal plane, so that the position of the support unit in a sideways direction in relation to the seat is variable, each user can select and set the most favourable distance between the seat and the support unit in order to achieve a comfortable working position that is suited to the size of their body. The said locking device preferably comprises an adjustable first locking arrangement that, in a first position, is arranged to engage with a locking lug in order to lock the linking mechanism in its preset position and that, in a second position, is arranged to be released from the said locking lug in order to return to the said first position. The locking lug is preferably attached to the vehicle seat or to its frame in association with the pivot axis of the armrest. The first locking arrangement comprises a lever with a pivot axis at right angles to the pivot axis of the armrest, one end of which lever has a contact surface that interacts with the said locking lug. The other end of the lever is provided with a fixing device in the form of the said lockable setting device, which setting device is arranged to be steplessly adjustable and to be able to be locked relative to the lower part, in order to allow the contact surface to be set in a position corresponding to the said second position. The setting of the said second position is suitably carried out by releasing the setting device and moving the armrest to the required position in relation to the vehicle seat, whereupon the setting device is locked. This setting results in a movement of the lever's contact surface in relation to the lower part, whereby the contact surface does not engage with the locking lug until the required position has been reached. When folding down the armrest, the user therefore does not need to repeat the setting of the upper part in the transverse direction. After folding the armrest to the active position, the user only needs to pull the spring-loaded upper part towards himself, from the first position to the set second position, whereupon the lever's contact surface will be automatically moved to make contact with and to be locked by the said locking lug.
According to a preferred embodiment, the armrest can be angled in relation to its pivot axis in such a way that it is held in place by its own weight, both in its folded-away position and in its folded-down active position. Accordingly, the armrest's pivot axis only needs to be provided with two stops that limit the angled movement of the armrest to comprise a sector between the required end positions.
Alternatively, the said locking device can comprise a second locking arrangement that is arranged, in a first position, to engage with a locking surface in association with the pivot axis of the armrest when the upper part is moved from its first position to its second position, and is arranged to be released when the upper part has been moved back to its first position. The second locking arrangement can be released automatically when the upper part has assumed its first position, or can be released manually by the action of the user in association with folding away the armrest. Another alternative embodiment of the second locking device comprises a manually-operated catch, preferably attached to the frame of the seat, which catch can be spring-loaded in engagement with the. pivot axis of the armrest. The locking device above can also be designed to lock the armrest both in its folded-away position and in its folded-down active position.
The invention also relates to a vehicle seat comprising at least one armrest according to the description above, which armrest is mounted on the said vehicle seat by a fixing device, and a vehicle comprising a vehicle seat provided with at least one armrest.
Other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.